Hutton Reserves 1 Basildon Town Reserves 0

Essex Olympian Football League Division Three, Wednesday April 14

Wednesday evening see me make my first ever visit to Polo Fields for an Essex Olympian Division Three clash between Hutton Reserves and Basildon Town Reserves, and a decent strike from Keelan O’Donovan just before the break proved enough to see the hosts to all three points.

Hutton’s return to action so far had seen them net an entertaining 4-3 win at Lakeside United before they came crashing down the earth with a 4-1 home loss to Manford Way Reserves, Basildon had earned a 2-2 draw at Hullbridge Sports ‘A’ before they netted a slender 1-0 home win over Toby Reserves at the weekend.

The hosts season so far in total if you include the games above saw them with ten points from their eight games and down in eight spot out of twelve, whilst the visitors had thirteen points from nine games and where two places above their opponents in the table, so not much in it and it proved to be a tight game as expected.

The opening half saw a lot of huff and puff but not to much In the way of goal mouth action, the hosts did find the target on one occasion but also found the keeper right behind it to make the save, whilst Basildon saw a header cleared off the line, but with four minutes of the half remaining Hutton edged ahead after O’Donovan swivelled and fired a lovely powerful left footed effort at goal, and although the keeper got a big hand to it, he could not keep it out and the ball ended up in the net.

Maybe the keeper could have done better, but it was a very powerful strike and proved too hot to handle, and the visitors now had to try and find a way back into this one in the remaining forty-five minutes.

Hutton looked for that killer second though and did go close but saw the visitor’s keeper make a decent save, and then the home sides full back drove on and on and on but after doing everything right, the final part he could not and sent an effort wide of the post, it would have been a fabulous solo effort, but it wasn’t to be.

Town were not without their efforts though, and they had one moment when they really should have scored when they saw the ball blocked on the line three times in quick succession as Hutton threw bodies in front of Basildon efforts at goal in a mad scramble, but the hosts managed to survive that.

Hutton did look dangerous when they did attack though, but poor play in the final third cost them, and they also struck the frame of the goal from a free kick and had one cleared off the line too as they pressed for a second and clinching goal, but they could not find one, and this meant they had a rather nervy last five or so minutes as Basildon began to put a lot of pressure on their back line as they searched for a late leveller.

It almost came too as deep into added on time the visitors struck an effort inches wide of the post with the keeper a spectator, had it been inside the post it was 1-1, but it just went the other side and it meant Hutton did hold on and take their second win from three since the restart, whilst Town taste defeat for the first time since the resumption of the season.

Full Time Hutton Reserves 1 Basildon Town Reserves 0

 

Here is the up-to-date table after tonight’s result…

 

Hutton’s win this evening sees them leapfrog both Lakeside United and tonight's opponents Basildon, meaning the visitors drop a place as a result. Hutton are back at Polo Fields at the weekend when they take on second bottom side Toby Reserves, whilst Town are at home where they face fourth placed Collier Row.